In a Small Brick House
by Luci-Marlena
Summary: He knew from the time he was little. He didn't understand it back then, but he does now.


AN: I don't own Teen Wolf.

_In a Small Brick House_

He knew from the time he was little. He didn't understand it back then, but he does now.

When Stiles was four years old he was in love with his best friend Derek Hale. Derek was four years older than him, but at the time that didn't matter.

'Cause when you're younger, all you see is the person in front of you and not their age. So it didn't matter that Derek was so much taller than him, or that Stiles' bedtime was so much earlier than Derek's. It didn't matter because they both loved dinosaurs, making pillow forts, playing in the forest, brownies, playing spaceship, and they both wanted to have a pet wolf.

Then Derek moved.

His whole family moved to another town or two over when Stiles was in the first grade.

When his parents told him that Derek was moving he locked himself in his room and wouldn't come out unless Derek was there.

Derek came and Stiles leaped at him, clutching at Derek's body as he sobbed. The older boy tried to soothe Stiles, telling him they could visit one another, and call, so it wouldn't be that bad. Nothing he said could help Stiles.

Soon, Stiles tired himself out and fell asleep on Derek's shoulder.

That was the last time he saw Derek before the move.

Stiles cried for weeks.

He wanted Derek. He wanted his best friend back and he didn't understand why Derek could just leave him like that. How he could move and not take Stiles with him?

How could Derek still have fun without Stiles? Stiles certainly couldn't have fun without Derek. He couldn't play spaceship, house, doctor, dinosaurs, or run around in the woods anymore without wanting Derek there.

The worst part about it was that he wasn't with Derek anymore. He couldn't smell Derek's shirts; how they always smelled like the woods and his mom's laundry detergent. He couldn't see his smile, hear his laugh, his voice, or feels his big arms around him, keeping him safe as they wandered off into the darker part of the woods.

It's not like he didn't feel safe or loved when his parents hugged him; his Dad's the Sherriff, he's the bravest man he knows, but with Derek it felt different. Special, somehow.

It was horrible being apart.

Sometimes, they were able to visit one another. Whenever that happened, Stiles insisted that they build themselves a fort, either inside or out, and lay down in the blankets all afternoon, just holding each other. Whenever Stiles saw Derek, all he wanted was to be held; feeling Derek hug him, and just hold him together as they counted down the hours until Stiles would have to go home again.

After a while, the visits stopped and Stiles moved on. He made friends at school and tried out for the lacrosse team.

Life moved on.

And then the Hales moved back into town.

No one knew the reason why, but it was all the town could talk about; everyone spreading rumours about the real reason they came back.

Stiles took it in stride. He wasn't the same little boy he was ten years ago. A lot has changed. He's lost his mother and now has to look after his Dad, he's trying to be at the top of his class (he's a close second after Lydia Martin), and he has a new best friend. Scott.

So he just brushes off the news. Besides, it's not like Derek would remember him anyways. He was just a little kid and Derek only tolerated him.

When he gets home, his Dad tells him the "good news" about the Hales coming back. Apparently, since Derek and Laura finished high school and were going to be leaving home for college anyway, they thought it was a good idea to come back to Beacon Hills. It felt like home to them.

Stiles tries to sit through dinner as his Dad talks about when he was little and how he and Derek used to play together, and how Stiles just _loved_ Derek, and how brokenhearted he was when the Hales decided to move. Oh, and wouldn't it be nice to catch up? They've been invited to dinner next week and it'll be good to see how they've all been doing.

He has to get out of that dinner. By any means necessary.

He doesn't, and his Dad forces him to go.

Seeing Derek again at sixteen years old was like a punch to the gut. He was everything Stiles remembered. Tall, dark hair, green eyes, thick eyebrows, big arms, but no smile. In that moment, Stiles knew. He knew what he felt when he was little, why he spent all his time with Derek and why he was so upset when he left; because he was in love with him. It wasn't hero-worship he was feeling; he was in love with his best friend since he was four years old.

He understands it now.

Why it hurts to see him, to remember him, to remember when he left.

He's silent all throughout dinner. He hears his Dad and Derek's parents and sister Laura talk, but Stiles and Derek are silent. Stiles doesn't look up from his plate, trying to get through dinner so he can go home and freak out before he cries.

He just really wants to cry.

Just as dinner is ending, Stiles thinks he's made it before he hears a deep voice call his name. Startled, Stiles looks up and tries to match the voice to the person. He hasn't heard the voice all through dinner so it must be one person, Derek.

He locks eyes with Derek and chokes out a, "Yeah?", trying not to blush as he sees the intensity that Derek is looking at him with.

"Will you come with me for a second?" he's already up and out of his chair when he asks, and Stiles is put on the spot. He doesn't really want to go with Derek, but he also misses him. So much.

Conflicted, he looks at his Dad for guidance. The Sherriff brushes him off with a, "You guys go catch up. Michael and I have some catching up to do as well."

Stiles awkwardly gets out of his seat and follows Derek to the back of the house. He has no idea where the older boy is taking him and his heart beats louder, and louder with every step.

Derek puts a hand on the back of his neck as he leads him out on the back porch. Stiles tries not to jump or flinch at the contact, but he's pretty sure he failed. He takes a look around the backyard and sees something dark and shadowy near the trees.

Letting himself be guided, Stiles starts to see a shape form out of the shadows. He's about three feet away when he recognizes what it is.

A fort.

Their blanket fort.

Stiles looks at Derek, but the taller man has already made his way into the fort. Heart beating out of his chest, Stiles crawls into the fort, lying down beside Derek.

Derek turns on his side and just looks at Stiles. Eyes making their way up and down his body; taking in all the changes since the last time they saw each other.

Stiles turns to face Derek and looks into his green eyes.

Not a moment later, Derek has his arms around Stiles and Stiles is clutching at him in return.

"I missed you. I missed you so much." Stiles doesn't know which one of them said it, but he's not sure that matters now.

"Don't leave again," Stiles pleads, burying his face into Derek's chest, inhaling his woodsy smell. "You can't leave me again."

Derek shakes his head, "Never. Never again, Stiles."

They lay like that until the Sherriff is calling to Stiles that it's time to go home, that he has school in the morning.

Reluctantly, the two break their hold and make their way back towards the house. Before they go in, Derek pulls Stiles into his chest and hold him one last time. "Never again, Stiles," he reassures. Stiles relaxes in his hold and nods his head.

They go inside and Stiles says goodbye and thank-you for dinner to the rest of the Hale family. Derek places a soft kiss on his cheek before he leaves and Stiles knows that everything's going to be okay.

He stares at the Hale house until he can't see it anymore as his Dad drives them home.

The entire time his eyes are locked on a figure standing on the porch; he never leaves.


End file.
